Why is My Fitbit Not Counting Steps? (6 Problems and Fixes)

Every Fitbit model uses a 3-axis accelerometer, a set of rules, and a formula to count steps. But sometimes the device can miscalculate your steps or fail to do so altogether. So why is your Fitbit not counting steps in the first place?

Your Fitbit isn’t counting steps because you haven’t worn it correctly, the placement settings aren’t in the app, the firmware is outdated, or the GPS system is on. It’s also possible that your Fitbit isn’t counting steps because it can’t synchronize with the mobile app.

In this guide, I’ll look at all the possible reasons why your Fitbit isn’t counting steps as well as simple fixes that can get your model tracking steps and doing so accurately again. 

Why is My Fitbit Not Counting Steps Accurately? (6 Issues Explained)

If you’ve used a Fitbit to track steps accurately but then it stopped doing so all of a sudden, it could be for the following reasons:

Whether you have a Fitbit Charge 4, Inspire, Luxe, Charge 3, Versa 2, Charge 2, Versa, or any other model not tracking steps at all, or failing to do so accurately, here are the fixes:

1. You’ve Got Your Fitbit Placement Wrong

Your Fitbit isn’t likely counting your steps – or failing to do so accurately – because of wrong placement of the device on your wrist.

Built into a Fitbit is a 3-axis accelerometer that measures static and dynamic forces. This sensor must be as close to the wrist as possible for the watch to detect movements and log accurate steps.

So where and how you wear your Fitbit can determine how accurate the step count is – or if even the device counts steps at all. 

You need to have the right Fitbit placement from the get go. To do this:

• Tighten the band securely around your wrist. However, it shouldn’t be too tight to the extent that your Fitbit causes wrist pain.
• Change Fitbit settings from “on wrist” to “on clip” if you wore the device in a clip.
• Remove loose accessories such as pedants from the write you have the Fitbit on.
• Set the wrist settings in the app to non-dominant, as this will increase step counting sensitivity, get your Fitbit to count steps and do so accurately.

That’s it.

Just having your Fitbit placement right should do the trick of getting the device to start counting your steps again.

2. You Turned On Your Fitbit’s GPS System

Your Fitbit might fail to count steps accurately or not count them at all because the GPS system is ON.

Don’t get me wrong.

The built-in GPS system in models such as Charge 4, Sense, and Charge 5 is incredibly useful. But it’s best to turn it off if you’re only interested in getting your device to count steps only.

If you have a Fitbit smartwatch:

• Swipe left on your device’s home screen.
• Choose an exercise and swipe down.
• Then, turn off the GPS

If you have the Fitbit fitness tracker:

• Open the Fitbit app
• Choose the tracker currently synched
• Check for GPS Setting or Connected GPS depending on your make.
• Tap the option to turn off the GPS.

3. You Didn’t Sync Your Fitbit Correctly

The whole point of synching a Fitbit device is to ensure you get access to real-time data whenever you’re working out.

That’s why it’s important to keep the “all-day sync’ turned on for the best results.

If your Fitbit is not counting steps, there’s a high chance you haven’t synched your device properly, and making these changes can help fix the problem.

The quickest way to synch your Fitbit is to:

• Open the app
• Tap your profile picture in your account
• Look for your current device and select it
• Tap the Sync Now option

That’s it!

If your device wasn’t counting steps because of the synching problem, the four-step solution above should help fix the problem. 

4. Your Fitbit’s Firmware Is Outdated

If your Fitbit has been tracking steps accuratelybut then stopped doing so all of a sudden, then it’s likely that the firmware is outdated.

In this case, all you have to do is to update your Fitbit by doing a firmware upgrade, which should get the device working well again.

To update your Fitbit’s firmware:

• Open the Fitbit app on your Android or iOS smartphone
• Tap the account icon and select your Fitbit model
• Hit the update button to install the latest firmware update

5. Your Fitbit Just Jammed and Won’t Count Your Steps

Sometime Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers fail to count steps because they just jam up, perhaps from an extended use throughout the day or water splashes.

The right solution in this situation is to restart the smartwatch or tracker, which, in most cases, usually helps to solve the problem. 

For the latest Fitbit models such as Sense, Versa 3, Charge 3, and Luxe:

• Press and hold down the button until the Fitbit logo appears on the screen
• Release the button and allow the device to restart. 

If you have an older version of Fitbit, such as Alta, Blaze, and Inspire:

• Connect the device to its charger
• Plug the device to a power source and make sure it’s charging
• Hold down the button until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen
• Release the button
• Remove the device from the charger
• Restart

Now try using the Fitbit to count steps and watch closely how the device performs after doing a restart. 

I’ve also put together a guide on how to restart a Fitbit device. Be sure to check it out to learn how you can power up different Fitbit models. 

6.  You Never Updated Your Fitbit Profile

Your Fitbit isn’t going to count your steps accurately if you don’t feed it with the right information. So if you haven’t set up your Fitbit account properly, now is the time to do some quick configurations.

Ideally, Fitbit requires your stride length, height, and gender to calculate the distance you travel.

Based on its algorithm, Fitbit calculates the distance traveled by multiplying your stride length by the total steps taken.

So make sure you update your Fitbit account’s profile to include the stride length, so you can increase the chances of the device counting your steps and doing so accurately. 

Measuring your stride length isn’t rocket science. You can check this tutorial to learn how to do that in under 5 minutes.

Conclusion

I love Fitbit smartwatches and activity trackers because of their performance optimization, sophisticated algorithm, frequent updates, and new releases that are always far much better than the previous.

But just because the brand works smart to stay at the top in its niche doesn’t mean its smartwatches and fitness trackers won’t act up. There may be times when you run into the problem of Fitbit not counting steps, and you’re going to have to troubleshoot the device.

I hope this guide has helped you to solve the problem of Fitbit not counting your steps accurately and not counting steps at all.